Performance of a play,
COTTON 56, POLYESTER 84 Theatre of India began with the Rigvedic dialogue hymns during the Vedic period, and Sanskrit drama was established as a distinct art form in the last few centuries BC. During the Middle Ages, the Indian subcontinent was invaded a number of times. This played a major role in shaping of Indian culture and heritage. Medieval India experienced a grand fusion with the invaders from the Middle East and Central Asia. British India, as a colony of the British Empire, used theatre as one of its instruments in protest. To resist, the British Government had to impose "Dramatic Performance Act" in 1876. From the last half of the 19th century, theatres in India experienced a boost in numbers and practice.
After Indian independence in 1947, theatres spread throughout India as one of the means of entertainment. India, being a multi-cultural nation, cannot be associated with a unique trend and feature in its theatres. Presently, major threats to Indian theatre are the spread of the television industry and the spread of films produced in the Indian film industry based in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), known as "Bollywood". Lack of finance is another major trouble.
[edit] History of Indian theatre
[edit] Theatre in ancient India
Main article:
Sanskrit dramaIndian drama dates back to the Rigvedic dialogue hymns in the Vedic period. Drama was later established as a distinct art form in the last few centuries BC. Bharata Muni wrote Natya Shastra (ca. 200 BC - 200 AD), a dissertation on the structure and purpose of theatre in society. Some of the most famous playwrights in ancient Sanskrit drama included Śudraka, Bhāsa, Kalidasa and Dandi.
[edit] Theatre in medieval India
[edit] Theatre in India under British rule
[edit] Indian theatre after Independence (1947-1992)
[edit] Contemporary (post-1992) Indian theatre
[edit] Improvization
[edit] Notable theatres in India in different Indian languages and regions
[edit] Notable people
[edit] Ancient Age
[edit] Medieval age
[edit] Under British rule
[edit] After Independence (1947 onwards)
Notable theatre directors
[edit] Notable playwrights
[edit] Forms of Indian theatre
[edit] Classical Indian dance
The most orthodox and complex form of musical theatre based on the Natya Shastra.
[edit] Traditional Indian theatre
See Guru Padma Shri Mani Madhava Chakyar, Mani Damodara Chakyar and Kutiyattam
[edit] Indian folk theatre
Bhavai (Strolling Players) is a popular folk theatre form of Gujarat, while Jatra has been popular in Bengal, another folk theatre form popular in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, is Swang, which dialogue-oriented rather than movement-oriented.
yakshagana is a very popular theatre art in Karnataka. It is semi-classical in nature and involves music and songs based on carnatic music, rich costumes, story line based on Mahabharat and Ramayana. This theatre version also involves dialogue in between songs and that gives it a folk art flavor.
[edit] Modern Indian theatre
[edit] Indian puppet theatre
Yakshagana is a popular Semi-classical theatre art from costal Karnataka. This art involves rich costume, music, dance and dialogue. Puppet shows in parts of Karnataka uses all these elements of yakshagana to depict Ramayana and Mahabharata stories.
[edit] Indian street theatre
[edit] Other Indian theatres
[edit] Notable awards and festivals
[edit] Awards
[edit] Festivals
[edit] Institutional aids in Indian theatre
[edit] Notable groups and companies
[edit] Notable productions
[edit] Notable stages
[edit] Notable theatre to films
[edit] Training
[edit] Further reading
- The Indian theatre, by Mulk Raj Anand, Published by D. Dobson, 1950.
- Theatre in India, by Balwant Gargi. Published by Theatre Arts Books, 1962.
- A panorama of theatre in India, by Som Benegal. Published by Popular Prakashan [for] Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), 1968.
- Indian Theatre: Traditions of Performance, by Farley P. Richmond, Darius L. Swann, Phillip B. Zarrilli. Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 1993. ISBN 8120809815.
- Indian theatre: theatre of origin, theatre of freedom, by Ralph Yarrow. Routledge, 2001. ISBN 070071412X.
- The Oxford companion to Indian theatre, by Ananda Lal. Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN 0195644468.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
